Fishhook disgorger



Feb. 2l, 1961 c. w. WEAR TAL FIsHHoox DISGORGER Filed April 18, 1957 Char/es W Wear b David F. Gazzo/a INVENTORS,

MFMM

lnarily as follows. V-gaging and removing tool or implement must be held FISHHOOK DISGORGER Charles W. Wear, Naches, Wash., and David F. Gazzola,

vBox 561, Selah, Wash.; said Wear assigner to said Gazzola Filed Apr. 18, 1957, Sel'. No. 653,557

5 Claims. (Cl. i3-53.5)

The present invention relates to a manually usable i United States 'O tool or implement which is expressly adapted for use by a. fisherman and is suitably constructed and designed to mechanically hold and make use of the line in locating and removing a fishhook from a hooked fish.

As the preceding statement of the invention implies,

fishhook locating and extracting devices are old and well i known. Therefore, the obvious objective revealed is to structurally, functionally and otherwise improve upon similarly constructed and performing iishhook.locating vand removing devices. To this end a structurally distinct vand novel implement is offered.

Generally speaking, the problem confronting the i average fisherman, after a fish has been hooked, is ordi- The fish must be held, the hook enafter being preset, can be operated with the use of one hand and so that the fish can be held in the other hand.

Brieliy, the improved implement is characterized by a bar supporting and aim-ing member conprisinga sleeve.

' The sleeve is adapted to be gripped between the thumb and first joint of the forefinger of one hand, say the right hand. A bar-like member, herein referred to as a spring-biased projectable bar, is slidably mounted and supported in the sleeve. There is a guide and retainer on the leading end of the bar which is slidably connectable with that portion of the fishing line which is located between the forward end of the sleeve and the fishhook. A spring clip is fixed on the sleeve so that a portion of the shing line adjacent to the lodged fishhook may be temporarily and releasably connected with the clip. The bar is adapted to be slidingly grasped by the fingers. of the same hand that holds the sleeve. A coil spring is connected to the rearward or outer end of the sleeve and the trailing end portion of the bar in a manner to be hereinafter described in detail. a Other objects, features and'advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan View with a portion shown in section,

of the improved fishhook extractor with the parts in 'l normal Out-,Ot-.usIelaCmShiP-W substantially V-shaped terminal or tip 24.

AIce

or components; namely, the aforementioned bar 8, a coil spring, and supporting and aiming sleeve 6 which in 'practice is adapted to be gripped and held close to the mouth of the fish by the fingers of the hand. The sleeve is, compared to the bar, relatively short and is a straight open-ended tube rectangular in cross section. r.Fixed atop the sleeve is the arm 10 ofthe aforementioned rearwardly opening spring clip 12. The bar comprises a flat, rigid bar which in practice is eight or ten inches in length. This bar is fitted snugly in the sleeve for free Asliding and as brought out in Fig. 4 there is a slight clearance between the edge portion 14 and the adjacent wall of the sleeve, that is the wall 16. This wall as best .A shown in Fig. 1 Vis provided with an indentation 18 Adefining a detent or keeper which slides along the edge 20 and is releasably engageable in the keeper notch ory seat 22. This notch isvjust inwardly of the laterally directed This tip is provided with a centered hole 26 at the apex portion and the marginal edges 28 converge toward the apex and there is a radial slit 30 which opens through one edge. Thus the s lit and opening is somewhat keyhole-like in form. The diameter of the hole is suliicient to clear the eye and` shank 32 of the fishhook 34. The slit 30 is restricted and allows only the leader portion 36 of the fishing line 38 to pass therethrough.

There is a return bend 40 at the right hand end of the Vbar joining a terminal portion 42 and thus the bent terminal portion and underlying part 44 of the bar provide a sheath (Figs. l and 2) for the coil spring 46. The coil -spring parallels the bar and has its leading end 48 joined `'to the clip arm 10 and its other end anchored on an an- ;choring pin 50 at the trailing end of the bar as is clear from the drawing. l

Normally the coil spring 46 is contracted and assumes the position seen in Figs. l and 2. Therefore the sleeve 6 is in its out-of-use position in these two figures. On the other hand when the device is cocked and set for locating and removing a fishhook which is embedded in the body of the fish the sleeve is to the left and the bar is extended to the right where it assumes its ready-to-fire position.

.As is brought out in "Fig. 3 it is necessary to thread the leader 36 ofthe fishing line through the slit 30 to eye or hole 26 when using the implement. The leader can be forced into the eye by Way of the side kerf or slit 30 in a seemingly obvious manner. Also it is repeated that the diameter of the eye or hole is slightly larger than the cross section of the iishhook eye and shank 32 so that this laterally directed leading end 24 functions as a thrust surface when it is engaged with the bent portion of the fishhook and assists in its removal.

As has been previously mentioned, this device is comf pletely operated with one hand while the other hand holds the fish. The thumb of the hand holding the device is v usually used to push the line or leader under the spring clip on top of the sleeve after the device has been cocked.

More particularly, the vfish (not shown) is held in one hand with the mouthv toward the fisherman.V The implernent or device is held in the other hand with the sleeve 6 gripped between the thumb and first joint of the forefinger. The trailing end of the push-pull bar 8 is at the same time also lightly grasped with the inner rear par-t of the hand. (This is an aid in controlling the sliding action `of the locator bar.) The extreme left end 24 of the loosening 'andV extracting b ar is pressed against the fisherhole 26 by Way rof the slit or slot 30. Regripping the Y device once more, as has been explained previously,slight pressure is exerted with the thumb (if the right hand is used) againstthe side of the sleeve opposite the detent 18. The slight clearance slot 14 permits thebar 'and sleeve -to be moved relative to cach lother "sothatthe detent or keeper 18 jumps out of the keeper seatandfthe bar or locator now moves in thedirection-of'the-sh*and into the iishs mouth, while the lateral guide 24 rides `along the leader permitting the hole 26 topass over vthe'eye'and shank 32 of the iishhook 34 Aandinto theV bent portion 'of the iishhook. The terminal portion 42 of the'bar has been automatically permitted-to slide gently into the -hand at this point where itis now'graspedlmore tightly and pushed so that the left end 241of thebar exertsepre'ssure 'against the bentportion of the hook, removing and withdrawing it.

VIt will be evident that the return bend forming the sheath is only long Venough to cover the springwhenthe spring is retracted. The constructionY will serve to bring the adjacent end or edge-portion of the sleeve underthe vfree end of 42 and with this construction the coil spring is shielded and is prevented from snagging with any other nearby object when the spring is retracted. It is Valso to be explained that the plunger behind the sleeve is held slightly by the hand Yand when the sleeve is lreleased from Vthe notch 22 at the left hand end of the bar the spring resorted to in actual practice without departing from the spirit of the invention or Athe 'sc'ope'o'f the invention y'as claimed.

VWhat is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A self-locating -shhook loosening and extractingimplement comprising an implement aiming, supporting and triggering sleeve which is constructed and adapted to be gripped and held bythe iingers of one hand close t 1 and lined up with the mouth of the fish, said sleeve having line bitching and anchoring means fixed thereon and Ato which a portion of a iishing line may be releasably connected, tautened and placed under tension, la iishhook dislodging and extracting bar slidably but non-rotatably mounted in said sleeve with portions thereof extending beyond the ends of said sleeve, said bar having a leading end provided with a guide forwardly of and in alignment 'with the anchoring means on said sleeve and adapted to be slidingly connected with fthe tensioned portion of the iishing line between the end which is anchored on" said means and the iishhook 'and being also adapted to ride along on the tensioned portion of the line and thus piloted toward the iishhook in a'manner to line itself up with the shank of the iishhook and slide over the iishhooks eye 'and then forwardly along the shank until it engages the Abent portion of the iishhook, and a bar actuating spring having one end fixed to the trailing end of the vbar and the other end connected to said sleeve, a'portion of said 'bar being provided adjacent said guide with Va keeper notch, and said sleeve having a keeper releasably engageable with the bar when the keeper is seated in said keeper notch.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and wherein Vsaid sleeve comprises a iiat tube of a length appreciably less than the length of the bar and .said bari-comprises a dat faced bar which is slidable freely but non-rotatably in the surrounding sleeve.

3. The structure deiined vin claim l and wherein said spring comprises a lightweight coil spring, said spring having a restricted degree of tension just sufficient when active to slide the major portion of said bar through and beyond the sleeve, and-said guide comprising a laterally bent leading end portion ofsaid bar provided with an opening providing aguidee'ye, 'and there being a radial line inserting.sliticommunicating at one end with the eye 'and 'openinglat 'its opposite end "through a Ymarginal edge of the laterally bentrv leading end'portion.

4. A ishhook locating, freeing and withdrawing 'irnplement comprising fa :sleevemectangular in cross-section adapted to be held .withtheiingers of one hand, an elongated bar member slidable but not rotatable in said sleeve, said bar member being of a length appreciably greater than the length of said sleeve, a portion of said bar lmember between the ends'ofthe bar'vrnember being slid- 'ably mounted in said sleeve, the end'of said bar member forwardly of said sleeve Vhaving a guide eye and a line inserting slitopeningiatone end into the guide eye, and a line attaching spring'clip fixed on said sleeve in alignment with said ,guide eye and adapted to permit a predetermined portion yof the'line leader to be temporarily Vattached to said guide eyefand tensioned after a portion of `the leader in advance thereof has passed vthrough the `-,slit.and into said guide eye, and a coil spring attached at one endlthereof to the sleeve and having its other end fastened on the trailing endvportion'of said bar, the last named'endiportion of the bar being bent upon itself and -providing a return bend spaced `from and cooperating with Vthe'adjacent endportion'of thebar and overlying the coil .spring andconstituting a guard-like sheath for the coil yspring when the spring is not under tension.

5. A` iish hook dislodgercomprising an elongated body portion rprovided at its forward, end with an opening having `its Flongitudinal axis extending longitudinally of .said body portion, said opening 'passing through the forvward end of said body portion, a trigger device mounted carrying therhook is movably mounted in the opening at the forward end Vof'the body portion and is extended longitudinally of the body portion to reach the 'exterior of the trigger device against which it may be clamped by the iinger, the body portion being guided along the line in its forward movement when it is released by the trigger device yand moved forwardly by the spring.

References Cited in the iile of this patent 'UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,728,864 Kramer Sept. 17, 1929 '2,512,818 lWikarski June `27, 1950 2,537,879 @Culhane Jan. 9, 1951 2,722,080 Lemberger Nov. l, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,292 GreatBritain 1886 235,367 Great Britain June 18, 1925 

